Wet Paint Cafe Operates In Coffeehouse Tradition

March 4, 1988|NIGHTLIFE II, Joan Brazer

What does a young lawyer do when he is unhappy with his profession? Buy a cafe on Lincoln Road. Since he`s also a musician, he can hire himself to play.

Warren Friesner, a member of the band Perfect Strangers, says he felt ``burned out`` as an attorney. He needed time away from the legal field. So, he bought out the Wet Paint Cafe in the Lincoln Road Mall, and brought in music that emphasized jazz and blues, and explored local talent.

The Cafe is situated in a once-fashionable part of Miami Beach that hasn`t been in vogue for years. But Friesner, who doubles as a chef and triples as a bartender, was drawn to the bistro because of its offbeat character.

On Dec. 19, he officially opened the converted storefront between Michigan and Jefferson avenues. It has patio furniture outside and inside, and is longer than it is wide. There are oversized, surrealistic paintings on the multihued walls and ceilings. Some are of waves; others depict pastel-colored people; a rear partition is covered with painted triangles, which have crabs peeking out from behind them. The paintings are the work of Pierre Manuel Schmidt, who also is featured in the art gallery behind the kitchen.

The music varies with the night of the week. On Thursdays, the Cafe generally has a local rock or jazz band that stresses original tunes; on Fridays and Saturdays, a blues band usually performs; on Sundays, new wave music is featured.

On the Saturday evening I was in the audience, the duo who were to perform had equipment difficulties and couldn`t get the sound system to work the way they wanted. And they had so much electronic equipment that just getting it to function was a major problem. A few customers grew tired of waiting for the entertainment to begin, and left.

The people who are employed by and who patronize the Wet Paint are interesting: One is a tuxedo-clad waiter, an Oriental man who has bleached his hair blond and allowed his dark roots to show. He`s very obliging, but also is difficult not to stare at -- as is the man with the gray ponytail wig. A well- dressed couple dances with theatrical flair in the walkway.

All this combines to make the Wet Paint Cafe exceptionally different. It`s a modernized version of the coffeehouses of the `70s, much lighter and brighter, but just as much a challenge to the imagination.

The cafe is a wine-and-beer bistro. Its wines range from Robert Mondavi ($2.50 a glass) to Alexis Lichine ($5.50). They are sold by the glass, bottle or liter, with the most expensive item on the wine menu being Mumms champagne, priced at $40 a bottle. Beers average $2.90 a bottle. Munchies include dolphin ceviche ($4.95), fried brie ($6.95) and potato pancakes ($3.95).

NIGHTLIFE NEWS

Linda Ronstadt arrives at the Miami Knight Center on March 11, ready for romance, Mexican style. Rondstadt had her first hit single, Different Drum, when she was part of Linda Ronstadt, The Stone Poneys and Friends in 1968. Twenty years later, she`s on her Canciones de me Padre tour, which reflects an idyllic musical evening in Mexico.

On the same bill will be Danny Valdez, Ballet Folklorico de la Fonda, Sal Lopez and Urbania Lucero and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan.

The show begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are available through BASS outlets and at the box office.

-- Here are three numbers to call if you`re looking for information on certain types of entertainment:

The jazz hot line is 382-3938; the blues hot line is 666-6656; the folk hot line is 531-3655. All are available at no charge, unless you`re calling long distance.

-- Want to take to the water? There are a few cruises emanating from the Miami area that combine dining and dancing. One is the Dixie Belle (861-1234) docked at 6500 Indian Creek Drive in Miami Beach; another is Cruise Biscayne Bay (947-6105), which leaves from the Haulover Marina next to Sundays; the Spirit (871-7715, Miami; 458-4999, Broward) departs from the Fontainebleau Hilton dock.